The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-03-31
THE FARM GARDEN.


OWA tcSetADtcS AttN II Fult9s
In few respects are farmers as a cIas
so untrue to their best interests and %
negligent of dutyto their families as IN
the failure to provide for, their own
tables from their own gFoundsaregulu
and fun supply of the several vegetables
and fruits adapted to, their soil and
climate. Could they realize howtrivial|
and unworthy their excuses for rot
doing so are. there would be q speedy
and general reform. A meat, well-kepf
garden on farm may not directly
swell the bank account, nor contribute
Immediately to the lifting Of q mon.
gage; but it does better than either d
these-it fosters, asnothing else attheir
command can, a higher and better life,
nobler aspirations, and, what is more
needed than all these among farmers
and their families-a higher appecia-I
ton and love of their occupation snd
contentment with it. It swells the
credit side of that great account beside
which bank accounts dwindle to IN
significance. @
The great obstacle to the more gen
eral cultivation offamily gardens among
farmers is the almost universal idea that
it can be done only by hand-work, and
a good deal of it.~sOf course, in the culs
tivation of fine vegetables some hand
work is necessary, but in q well
arranged garden it is comparatively
inconsiderable, and SO light that \
ought to be called fingerwork. and tho
obnoxious idea of hand-work entirely
banished from the mind. The necessity
for an outfit of special garden imple-
ments and other requisites Is another
bugaboo. These are most of them USE
full in their places and convenient but
not indispensable. Most garden work
can be very well done with the farm
implements which good farmers already
use in the cultivation of crops An IN
telligent, expert farmer can weed m9r
onions and other garden vegetables py
the aid of common manure fork tian
four common hands with the best specia
implements.
The flrst step toward economical
gardening in connection with the az
absorbing duties of farming 10 Sipa
out every thing which suggests thai y
is little business or of little Importance,
A liberal plot OF ground, unobssruessa
by fences or trees but surrounded 1y :
grass border, broad enough OF least I0l
driving and turning a team, IS neces
sary. This should be laid out 80 y y
plant every thing, whatever its habit o
growth, in rows far enough apart, as
the case may be to admit OF easy c'i.'''
vation, no matter if it does require
more land than the specialist employ,
in raising the same crops. It's . soo'
plan to distribute the rowsfor pellna.
nent crops, such as asparagus ana ''s
seyeral varieties Of fruit-bushes' 20 =
to admit Of planting few rows o. y.
annual vegetables between tnem' =
secure their regular cultivation 90
pruning in connection with the o'l's'
tillage Of the intervening spaces
This arrangement also affords 81
portunity for hauling manure % y,
part of the garden in winter-fse pr
er season for that work. For WINS.
manuring is not only more convepls u.
and economical Of labor, but u eVs,y
way more efficacious. OF al -
agencies for the distribution OF tne ~,
tilizing elements of manure fross ~ e !
water are the most effective. improVlDss
at once the texture and composl1ioa =
the soil and preparing it as no o1neI q. e
plication or treatment does % give q 81 81
crop an early and vigorous start ~, ].
is less loss Of manure and less dang, \
injury from heavy manuring at this - !,
SON than any other But this system 4 I,
open-field gardening is oblecseo 8 ~ 4
most farmers. An unprotected g'aa = !
say they, is worse than none. 81. /,
farmer has no unprotected nes i,
which he can locate a garden be casa e, =